Tuesdays With Morrie - Material Items

In Tuesdays with Morrie, Morries talks to Mitch about the way our society lives today and what standards we base our lives off of.  He says that we shouldn't "buy into society" but live independently and the way we want to.  Morrie also says that we should not center our lives around material possesions, but around people and human relationships.  The items we buy can only last for so long, but the connection with a person can last a lifetime.

I definately feel like Morrie's words and wisdom have altered my outlook on life.  Now, instead of just hearing the cliche "live your life to the fullest" and letting it run through one ear and out the other, I'm actually listening.  I heard what Morrie had to say and I am convinced of it.  I want to put aside all the pointless objects that have held my affection for so long and listen to the world and people around me.

The Sensible Thing To Do

Staying up until the early hours of the morning, willing herself to study more. I must pass this test, she thought, this chance might never come again, I cannot fail.  Through thirty-two ounces of coffee and more than a few Excedrines, she contiued to cram everything from Shakespeare's plays to the String Theory to Spanish Culture into her brain.  Very shortly, she would hear the alarm's deafening ring and jolt from her trance.  Like an apathetic corpse, she dressed herself, and gathered all she would need for the test. 

But, already, she was running late.

I can't be late. That's not allowed... but what to do. A shortcut? Perfect.  The only shortcut she could remeber required her to take the back streets by the tracks.  The reputation of that path, though, shouted Danger! and gangs.  She knew it was not safe.  She read the newspaper.  Stories of mugging, kidnapping, rape, even murder, blared through the speakers of her television. Yet, she needed to take this test to prove to everyone, and to herself, that she could pass it.  She decided to risk it.

The following morning, news of another attack by a group of young gang members made the front page.  The victim died alone after being stripped of all belongings and a gunshot in the chest.  Their target: a young girl, on her way to her final SAT.

Nothing could have saved her, except herself and the choices she made.  From the outside, she seemed smart, intelligent.  And maybe by the way of books she was.  But there's more to life than just the facts we read.  Life requires us to have commen sense, which is our ability to make decisions based on our surroundings and what we belive is right. 

Maybe if she didn't stay up so late studying, she might have had more energy to get ready.  Maybe she wouldn't have needed to take that shortcut.  Maybe she'd still be alive.  All the decisions one makes in life can be traced back to another, in a continual chain-of-events pattern.  If a choice is made, but the conscience mind is not involved, one cannot possibly find a solution that they know to be right and logical. Common sense provides the basis for all choices.

In my family, my parents believe in teaching my sister and i many different life lessons, through their mistakes and the mistakes of others.  The central theme of the lessons never change, in some form or another involving common sense.  They believe that the majority of decisions gone wrong are because of irrational and unsensible emotions.  Having strong opinions and feelings about something doesn't necessarily cause a problem, only when we let those emotions take control over our logical, resoning side do we find ourselves in trouble. 

Through school, I've learned what it means to be smart, to be able to comprehend what the teachers' ask, to answer questions, to earn high test scores. But through life, I've learned what it means to have common sense, to have the whole package and to be able to survive in the outside world.  And who knows,  maybe the next choice in our lives decides the path we take.  But which one do you follow?  Will you choose the deceiving shortcut and walk along the dangerous tracks filled with uncertainty?  Or will you decide to go the logical route filled with security, that may be longer but worth while in the end? The answers right in front of you.  All you have to do is use your common sense.

The Kite Runner Argument

In Khaled Hosseini's novel, The Kite Runner, the argument of cultural differences is very prominent.  Throughout the book, Hosseini compares before- and after-taliban Afghanistan to the United States to show the reader the cultural shock Amir might have experienced.  He also has another argument within this one, but comparing just the two Afghanistans and how the Taliban changed them.  He argues for the old Afghanistan, such a serene place of homliness and community, that it really did exist at one time.  That it wasn't always as bad as it is now.  But then in comparison to the United States, Afghanistan seems so small and dirty.  Though life in the U.S. was a difficult adjustment for the main characters, Hosseini argues that it was definately better than the Afghanistan they left behind.

Belching - compliment or insult?

500 years ago, after enjoying a delectible feast, the head of house would greatfully belch in return for the wonderful meal.  It was a sign of appreaciation and the common courtesy of those medival days.  The louder a person burped, the more they enjoyed the food, making the host feel satisfied and welcoming.  If a guest did not burp, they were considered to be rude and would most likely not welcomed back into that home.

In the 21st century, though, burping is thought of as gross, disgusting, rude, unpleasant, dirty, etc.  Parents always tell their children to not burp at the dinner table because it's impolite, especially when over at another person's house.  My parents didn't care if i did it at home, as long as i knew that it was unexceptable to do anywhere else.

I think that burping should still be considered a notion of thanks and fullfillment and not a sign of imaturity and disrespect. It's just another way of saying how great a meal was and it lets the host/hostness know you want to come back for more. :)

Box Man reflection - numero uno

In the essay, the Box Man has chosen a life of solitude.  He lives by himself, but is perfectly content with that.  He has found peace within himself and does not have to find solace through anyone else.  Lonliness is something entirely different. To be lonely, one must long for something they do not have and feel empty without, just as the "soup lady" and "cat lady" did in the essay.  The Box Man does not long for anything or anyone.  He is satisfied with being alone and has chosen to ignore all those who attempt to "salvage" him.

For the majority of us in Vacaville, we see homeless people as drunks or addicts, who could get a job if they really wanted to but chose to be lazy.  That's the typical stereotype.  But when we look at "The Box Man", the author is telling us never to assume anything.  That homeless person we see on the street corner every day might very well be happy with sleeping under a shady tree in the park, away from the noisey commuters.  We should never assume anything about anyone just based on their appearances or the lifestyle they've chosen.

Compare and Contrast

Similar to the homeless man and the two woman in "The Box Man", one can compare my pet gecko to my mother at work.  My gecko's name is Sahara and she resides in my room, atop my dresser inside a large, glass tank.  My mom works at Buckingham inside what is known as "The Fishbowl".  It's the second office area and has a giant wall of glass for students to come up and get their late passes from my mom.  Both my mom and Sahara are trapped in a bubble, or cage, all day long, Sahara hearing the constant chirping of live crickets (which drives me crazy) and my mom having to listen to the phone ring with sorry excuses.  They both see the outside world from behind glass, almost like they have no control over what goes on.  Sahara has her daily routine: sleep inside a rock, then in a log, and then eat and repeat; as well as my mom: write passes, enter them in a log, and then eat and repeat.  My mother and pet gecko are two very different things, but when put together, they both lead very similar lives, although they may not even realize it.

The Kite Runner

"The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini, tells the heart-breaking story of young boy's life and coming of age during a Taliban-ridden Afghanistan.  Amir, the troubled narrator, grows up in a household with only a father who never seems to be satisfied.  Amir longs only for the attention of his father and to please him, but he doesn't know how.  Their servants, Ali and his son Hassan, play a huge role in Amir's life, although he may not realize it until later.  He shared a strange brotherhood with Hassan.  They were such good companions, but only when it was convienent for Amir.  Forced to move away from the only home he has, Amir faces challenges most have never known to exist and he must make decisions that will completely alter his life.  This powerful and captivating book tells of the cruelty and horrors of modern Afghanistan, and yet, in the midst of all the hurt, a touching story of love and redemption is born.